Meet Sam Proof

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sam Proof a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sam, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I’ve been an online content creator since the mid-90s, long before YouTube even existed. Back in 2005, I discovered a livestreaming platform called Operator11 and immediately became obsessed with live production. From there, I started making YouTube videos, diving into the world of online content creation.

When Amanda and I got together, my content creation journey took a bit of a backseat. Life got busy with a full-time job, becoming a dad, and everything else that comes with it. But a few years later, Amanda decided she wanted to try fostering cats and asked if I was okay with it. My response? “As long as I can livestream it!” She begrudgingly agreed, and from there, CuteAvalanche was born.

Over the past seven years, we’ve fostered more than 180 cats and kittens, helping them grow strong and find forever homes. Fostering gave us a way to blend our love for animals with our passion for creating meaningful content.

Unfortunately, in May 2024, a fire forced us to move from our rented house to an apartment, where lease agreements prevent us from fostering. This change has been tough, but it’s also pushed us to focus on raising awareness for other rescues and shelters through our livestreams and social media platforms.

Whether we’re fostering directly or supporting others in the rescue community, our mission has always been about making a difference for cats and inspiring others to get involved. We’re excited to keep building our community and finding new ways to help until we can foster again.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

At CuteAvalanche, we’ve built a unique blend of fostering cats, live-streaming, and content creation. For seven years, we’ve opened our home (and our cameras) to share the journey of fostering over 180 cats and kittens, from bottle babies to playful furballs ready for adoption. We focus on building a community where people can learn about animal rescue, see the real behind-the-scenes work of fostering, and enjoy the pure joy that kittens bring.

What makes CuteAvalanche special is how we use technology and social media to amplify the rescue world. Our 24/7 cat cam on Twitch has become a hub for people to relax, connect, and even adopt. Viewers get to watch these kittens grow and thrive while learning about the impact of fostering. It’s an interactive experience, and we’re proud to show the highs, the challenges, and the happy endings of rescue work.

Right now, we’re focused on a new chapter. After a house fire in May 2024, we had to move to an apartment where we’re unable to foster due to lease restrictions. While this was a huge shift for us, it’s also given us the opportunity to collaborate with other rescues and fosters. We’ve started streaming their work on our platforms to share their stories and help even more animals find homes.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to expand our content creation. We’re working on long-form videos for YouTube that are educational, entertaining, and evergreen—designed to keep people coming back to learn about cats, fostering, and rescue. We’re also continuing to grow our community and find new ways to inspire others to make a difference, whether it’s fostering, adopting, or simply supporting rescue efforts.

If you love cats, want to learn more about rescue, or just need a little more floof in your life, we’d love for you to join our journey! You can find us live on Twitch, YouTube, and all social media under Cuteavalanche.com.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think the three key areas that stand out as the most impactful in our journey with CuteAvalanche are interactivity and innovation, community building, and creative problem-solving. From the beginning, we’ve focused on making CuteAvalanche a uniquely engaging experience. Our livestreams aren’t just passive entertainment—we’ve designed features like naming polls for litters, where viewers vote on names, and a system that allows the chat to remotely switch cameras during the stream. These interactive elements bring people into the process and make them feel like they’re part of the journey. It’s a collaborative experience, and that’s been a huge part of our success. If you’re just starting out, finding ways to involve your audience directly—whether through interactivity or creative input—is key to building lasting support.

Community building has been another cornerstone of what we do. Seasonal games and events like Spookitty Meowloween, our SuPurr Bowl fundraiser in Feburary and Meowy Catmas give our audience fun, festive ways to connect while supporting our mission. These moments not only bring people together but also help create lasting memories tied to CuteAvalanche. It’s more than just about the content; it’s about creating a space where people feel they belong. My advice here would be to create shared experiences that can bring your audience together, whether it’s through themed events, seasonal games, or other creative ways to engage them.

Finally, creative problem-solving has played a huge role in making all of this work. Whether it’s figuring out the technical side of multi-camera livestreaming, managing rescue work alongside content creation, or coming up with new ways to engage viewers, we’ve learned to adapt and innovate. Each challenge we’ve faced has made us stronger and more resourceful, and that drive to keep learning and evolving is something we’re incredibly proud of. For anyone just starting out, don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things. The combination of creativity and problem-solving will set you apart from the rest.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

At CuteAvalanche, we’re always looking for new opportunities to collaborate with like-minded individuals and organizations. One of the key areas we’re focusing on right now is partnering with other animal rescues and shelters. If you’re part of a rescue or shelter and have adoptable animals, we’d love to help spread the word by sharing videos through our Foster Friends Videos Submission Form. You can send us videos of your adoptable animals, and we’ll feature them on our channels to help find them forever homes. Submissions can be made through https://forms.gle/2RaGSp8382f27MaR9.

We’re also open to partnering with organizations that are interested in streaming their enclosures. If you’re fostering animals and would like to share their journey with our audience, we have a dedicated application form for you to apply and join our streaming family. You can find the form at https://forms.gle/QkwYhHKKu5t6pSo99.

On a personal note, I’m always happy to collaborate on podcasts! I’ve been featured on several over the past year, and I’m eager to continue sharing our story and insights into fostering and rescue. If you’re interested in having me on your podcast, feel free to reach out via email at [email protected].

Finally, we’ve recently launched our own podcast, where we aim to interview cat professionals (like vets, behaviorists, and more) as well as other animal rescuers. If you’re interested in being a guest or know someone who would be a great fit, you can submit your information through our guest submission form at https://cuteavalanche.com/podcast-guest-submission-form/.

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Sam Proof

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